Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1887-11-10
MchancSwn Frederick County, Maryland Thursday November TO- 1884,
WOMAN AND HOME.
A BIT OF HOUSEKEEPING DONE BY
TWO RAILROAD MEN.

Decorative Hints Worth Heeding-Help-
Ing baby to walk-Creole's Old Faslr-
Toned Ideas-Lack Of fClesnliness-Secrot
Of Economy-London Shopping.
Let me tell you of bit Of housekeeping
done one winter by two men; and because it
helped them to .be better when they might
have easily grown worse, and because by
means of it they were enabled to make cheer
full winter which had hidden fair to be
. dreary, think we must coll it good house
keeping. The last trip of the train OH which
they were employed took them away from
E homo late in the evening, and left them for
tho nights and Sundays at the terminus Of a
short branch line.
Tho cider was All engineer, who by reason
Of his recent promotion to that position hnd
not yet attained full pay, and had just gone
to housekeeping in plain, everyday fashion
which ho hoped to better by and by. dare
say he had married far too young, and his
wife was quito inexperienced, and learned
how to keep house by dint OF doing it. But
because of.tl,c wife and baby, and the house
keeping, he did not feel able to pay for lodg-
ing and Sunday meals away from home.
So he decided to carry hi. food from home,
and sleep in tho round house 0he building
where the locomotive was stored, and he was
very glad to get y companion i'll the person Of
the new brakeman, just commencing railroad
life. He was lad Of lS, fresh from an up
country home. fairly pushed out Of the home
nest, loving shelter though it had been to
him. by the pressure Of the numerous younger
brothers and sisters and he had not only to
shift for himself, but to help these dear ones
if he found that he could He was good
lad. full Of right intentions, but OF course
ready to be influenced by his companions and
surroundings.
They asked for and obtained some bulks
and some cushions in lieu of mattresses,
and with thick dark quilts from home and
the glowing fire in the huge stove they were
very comfortable as far rs lodging was con-
Ccrned Bat the Sundays were not SO pleas
ant. a locomotive round house has few
clurms as a dwelling. This particular one
had in its favor that, not being on the main
line, it held only the one locomotive, and the
fire being dumped on Saturday night there
was neither smoke nor steam; but such places
are never over clean. Then they were obliged.
to wear working clothes for the trip up Oh
Saturday night, and they did not feel neat
nor well dressed, nor could they so attired at
tend church..
The engineer pon'lered the matter much.
These were not the Sundays for which he had
planned Nv knights Of the dinner pail re-
solved, first OF all, that they would dress as
well on Sunday aS they would have done II
at home. Their bags were packed with clean
linen and their Sunday suits were carried up
,;,,l,N Il
to drive up nails to hang UP the working
suits.
They spread down clean sacking wherc
were no boards: it WAS easily taken up, shaken
and folded away during the week. A piece
of iron bar heated in the glowing Goals Of tho
stove and dropped into a pail Of water
warmed 1t sufficiently for sponge bath, and
that nn, clean clothes restored the feeling Of
tulm.s> they had so missed.
Those same glowing Goals suggested the
possibility of giving their food little more
OF home hk" aspect The thing grew, plates,
cu,,s and s.,,lrcrs and the like, were carried
from home and kept in u locked cupboard
They gathered together vinegar, pepper, salt,
mustard pepper sauce, horse radish, n Lottle
OF pickles. carried crackers, butter, and such
things in small quantities, and IL tin dish or
-
biities in Il quart in dipper and n gool fire.
The bread WAS carried in the loaf that it
Nigh. not dry soon as il sliced. A little
tin phil OF baked hcars was carried every
Saturday by tho engineer; the brakeman
brought another OF oysters, and these last
were M-wrd In n little saucepan that easily
went in ut the stove door. A piece Of sheet
iron just large enough to slide i'll at the same
aperture. had its edges turned up on three
Sides aul served cxcellently to roast oysters
or clans in the she'll a wire bread toaster
answered admirably for a meat broiler if
they preferred beefsteak to oysters. A firmly
propped up board served for table, and
round solid sticks of wood, with square
bonr,ls nailed on them, made seats.
The meals over and the dishes tdily washed
up, they were fit FOR church, and often went.
They carried hooks and papers from home
and read them aloud. OF course there were
innulrciabr jokes at their expense, but out
of their comfort and tdess they could afford
to laugh with the j"kers And the laughers
were glad to come i'll OF nn afternoon, and
enjn, t4r fire and the last illustrated paper.
After that winter the two were never
again in such close companonShip The lad
became first fireman and then an engineer
Oh another road, and rpened into steady.
reliable man, n stay and comfort to those de-
pendent upon him. He sometimes met his
old mentor and alluded to the winter when
they had passed their Sundays together i'll the
roundhu,,s, rs q time OF profit. and gave evil
deirc that the good home habits with which
he llpi gone ont into the world were then con-
firmcd and strengthened to last him through
bis brief lie
For Will" yet young III manhood, one night
in early spring, the track slid away under his
engine, carrying the train down steep en-
l.ankmrnt to the rocky bed OF river
Though fatally burned by escaping steam, he
struggled out of the heavy impeding coat,
climbed the height, heaven knows how, and
staggered i'll the early dusk, blinded by fall
ing SHOW, half mile down the track, to ap-
pear before standing train reelng, sway
ing figure, hatcss. coatles, and with visage
so blarkcnrd and distorted as to be unrecog-
nizable, shouting incoherent words of warn.
ing. And yet no one who knew him evinced
any surprise when his story was told in pub
lie print. 1T was like him" they said.-H.
Annstte Poole in Good Housekeeping.
lJints for Homo Decoration.